Give Rural South Dakota a Chance, State Bar Urges Lawyers

Sixty-five percent of South Dakota’s lawyers are headquartered in four cities in the state, a statistic that concerns the state bar.

Under a new initiative called Project Rural Practice, the State Bar Association of South Dakota hopes to lure lawyers to areas of the state with the greatest legal need, the Argus Leader reports. A bar committee will work with community leaders, businesses and others to identify the areas in most need and to find incentives to get lawyers to move there.

State Bar President Pat Goetzinger told the Argus Leader that something needs to be done to bring back the Main Street lawyer. “A lot of our rural attorneys are nearing retirement and looking for someone to carry on the practice,” he said. “We just don’t have anyone to take their place.”